Amy was pleased with this. She saw him regularly but she wasn’t too involved. It gave her a breathing space.
After a week Amy asked Johanne if she wanted to go home and Johanne said no. If Amy didn’t mind, and if it wasn’t too much trouble, she’d like to stay. Amy reported this to Adam.
She could tell he wasn’t pleased. He wasn’t angry as much as hurt. Well, having children could be a hurtful process. He said, ‘If you don’t mind having her, I’m... glad that she’s found a friend. But there’s now one condition. Please, don’t be insulted but I must pay you something.’ He managed a small grin. ‘Since she left, my food bill has halved. I never realised how much I had been spending on junk food.’
‘You can give me something towards her food,’ Amy said, ‘but I’m not looking to make a profit.’ She took a breath and then said, ‘Perhaps I should tell you, Jack Collis is coming to tea on Saturday evening. Johanne says she’s going to cook.’
‘Heaven help the poor lad,’ said Adam. Amy smiled.
Chapter Seven
It was the following Wednesday that Amy took the next step. By chance she met Adam in the surgery car park. He smiled at her, which was a good sign.
‘Adam, I’ve got something to ask you. I’m giving a dinner party on Saturday night. Elizabeth will be there, and my mother and her new friend Noel are invited. Johanne is inviting Jack. And I’d like you to come.’
She looked at his face, hoping for some sign of what he wanted to do. But all she got was that blank look she had seen too often that meant that he was thinking.’
‘So I am to meet the young man in question. On neutral ground.’
‘You’ll both be my guests. And I know you both well enough to know that you’ll both act properly.’
‘So you know—Jack is his name, isn’t it?’
‘It is, as you well know. And, yes, I’ve met him two or three times. He’s well-mannered, a bit shy. I think he’s genuinely fond of Johanne.’
‘Fond of?’
‘I think he has a genuine regard for her,’ Amy said firmly. ‘And, in fact, I know the family. They sell agricultural goods, an old-established, well-thought of firm.’
‘You know what you’re asking me to do? Meeting this young man means that I approve of the relationship. That I admit that everything I’ve said to my daughter is wrong.’
‘I’d say that friendship is a better word than relationship. And what I’m asking you to do is help your daughter. And perhaps yourself.’
He hunched his shoulders, as if to ward off a punch. Then he said, ‘Thank you for your invitation. I’d like to accept.’
‘Good. I’m calling this a dinner, but Ma and Noel are going on to a lecture on local history afterwards and Johanne and Jack are going to the school dance. So it won’t be for all the evening.’
‘Fair enough. What shall I wear?’
‘Smart casual will be fine.’
She bit her lip. She had nerved herself to ask this next question but she didn’t know what kind of answer she might get. ‘You’re a good-looking man, Adam, you turn women’s heads. I bet you were a good-looking boy. Just how old were you when you kissed a girl—seriously—for the first time?’
There was a long pause and then he said, flatly, ‘Thirteen. How old were you when you were first kissed?’
‘Thirteen,’ she said.
The meal was to be a joint endeavour between three women and they started to prepare it at lunchtime on Saturday. Elizabeth recognised that something exciting was going to happen, so she had to join in.
With the meal being prepared beforehand, serving it would be just a matter of fetching dishes from the kitchen. Amy had decided to have a starter of dressed salad with smoked fish, a main course of a big bowl of rice with kebabs of beef, pork and chicken, with sauces to the side, and a dessert of fresh fruit with whipped cream.
The cooking was finished in plenty of time, the kitchen cleared, the table laid. Then the three women—and Elizabeth—took turns in the bathroom then changed.
Amy lent Johanne one of her long skirts, it went well with a blouse bought in Palma.
Once again Amy put on the lacy underwear she hadn’t worn since the holiday and a dress she hadn’t worn since then. Only when she had it on did she realise that it was the dress she had worn the night after she had slept with Adam for the first time. Would he remember? The evening after the storm, when they’d had to sit and pretend that nothing very much had happened. Perhaps he would think that wearing it was some kind of message. Whatever, she thought she looked nice in it.
Then the four of them were ready.
‘We can sit down and relax now,’ said Sylvia.
There was a rattle at the door, a whooshing sound and it started to rain. Not just any rain but a Derbyshire downpour.
‘Jack’ll get wet through,’ said Johanne. ‘He’s not allowed to drive yet, though he’s learning.’
Noel was the first to arrive, smiling, with flowers and a bottle of wine. Amy noted the way he looked at her mother, kissed her. She wanted someone to look at her like that. Or did she? She remembered Adam had offered—in effect.
The next one to arrive was Adam. Amy saw his car draw up outside. She said to Johanne, ‘It’s your dad. Do you want to let him in?’ She knew Johanne hadn’t seen him for a fortnight, though they had phoned. Johanne paled but went to the front door.
Amy saw Adam kiss his daughter, heard him say, ‘You look very nice in that outfit.’ Johanne said nothing, but hugged him.
Adam came in, kissed Amy on the cheek and presented her with more flowers. He said, ‘And you, too, look well in that dress. I think I remember it.’ Amy blushed, then introduced him to Noel. The two men seemed to get on at once.
One guest to come, Amy thought desperately. He’s not late, the first two were early. I hope things go all right. As if guessing her thoughts, Johanne said, ‘Jack’s going to get awfully wet. He will come, won’t he, Amy?’
Amy could hear the desolation in her voice, and said, ‘Of course he’ll come.’
Then they both saw a large Land Rover appear outside. Two people got out of it and hurried to the porch with their heads bent under a large golfing umbrella. Amy decided she should open the door. There, looking smart in a grey suit and with a slightly apprehensive expression, was Jack. With him was an older man, also blond, with a cheerful, smiling face. ‘Hi! I’m Harry Collis,’ he said, extending a hand. ‘I brought Jack because it was raining, and I just wanted to say hello and thanks for inviting him.’
‘Come inside and say hello to everyone,’ Amy said instantly.
Harry hesitated. ‘I’d like that,’ he said. ‘But I have to go straight off afterwards.’
Amy watched as he shook hands with Adam. It was quite fascinating, the two men seemed to like each other at once. But there was no time for a long chat. Harry had to go. Then Johanne nerved herself and said, ‘This is Jack, Dad. My...friend.’
Adam took the extended hand. ‘I’m pleased to meet you at last,’ he said. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’
‘Pleased to meet you too,’ said Jack.
‘If you all like to sit down, we can start,’ said Sylvia.
Amy thought it turned out to be a very pleasant meal. She could see the apprehension of both Johanne and Jack, but it slowly melted as Adam put himself out to be as welcoming as possible. Noel was also very good, having the solicitor’s skill of redirecting a conversation if the subject became awkward. And everyone agreed that the cooking was wonderful.
So the dinner was a great success. Her mother and Noel left first, to go to their lecture.
Johanne said, ‘Jack and I will have to go soon, but there’s the dishes first and I—’
‘Don’t you dare mention dishes,’ said Amy. ‘Just go off and enjoy yourselves.’
Adam said, ‘Johanne and Jack can’t go out in this weather. I’ll give them a lift in the car.’
Amy saw Johanne and Jack exchange glances but there was nothing they could do.
She said, pointing at a drooping Elizabeth, ‘I’ve got to put sleepyhead here to bed.’ Then, greatly daring, she said, ‘If you want to come back for another coffee, Adam, you’ll be welcome.’
He looked at her, she felt her face warm. He said, ‘I’d like that very much.’
Elizabeth had really enjoyed herself, but now she was overexcited and it took quite a while to bathe her and calm her and get her into bed. Amy was only halfway through her bedtime story when the front doorbell rang. She ran downstairs, with her apron over her dress, to let Adam in. She gabbled, ‘Sorry about the mess. Get yourself a coffee. I’ve just got to get Elizabeth to sleep so put the TV on if you want.’ Then she rushed back upstairs, more concerned about her daughter than anything else.
Amy finished the story, saw she was asleep. A quick trip to the bathroom to pat cold water on her cheeks and put on a touch of lipstick. Then she went back downstairs.
At the beginning of the evening she had been apprehensive, but everything had gone better than she had expected. Now she was feeling apprehensive again. Why had she invited Adam back for coffee? The fact that she had wanted to invite him was really irrelevant.
He wasn’t sitting in the living room. And what had happened to the dinner dishes? The table had been cleared. She looked in the kitchen door and blinked. He was in his shirtsleeves, his tie loosened and an apron around his waist. A frilly one at that. The washing-up was done and neatly stacked, the food ready to be put in cupboards and fridge.
‘You washed up!’ she said, even though it was quite obvious.
‘Well, you cooked and you were busy. It was the least I could do.’
‘But guests don’t wash up.’
‘Perhaps I think I am a special guest,’ he said cheerfully, ‘the one invited to stay at the end. I liked that.’
She chose not to wonder if he was a special guest or not. ‘Well, sit down now and I’ll make fresh coffee,’ she said. ‘And I brought back some of that brandy we enjoyed in Spain. Would you like some?’
‘I really would. It might bring back memories.’ Then he grinned and said, ‘If we’re moving back into the living room, I’ll take the apron off.’
‘I’ll do the same in a minute. Now, go and sit down.’
She poured two brandies, percolated fresh coffee and fussed with a little plate of biscuits, all carefully arranged on a tray. Then she placed the tray on the coffee table. He was sitting on the couch, she made to sit in an easy chair. ‘If you sat by me it would be more friendly,’ he said.
She hesitated. Then she came to sit by him on the couch. It was a small couch, only a two-seater, and he spread his arm over the back of it to make room for her.
She sat, and sighed. ‘I just want to sit and drink my coffee and sip my brandy and be calm,’ she said. ‘I’ve been living on my nerves all day and I need a rest.’
‘So you’re all right now? Everything troublesome is over?’
‘I think things have gone really well.’ Then, with a frankness that embarrassed her, she said, ‘But I’m still a bit on edge, sitting next to you on the couch.’
‘You have nothing to fear from me,’ he said softly. ‘Lean back and relax.’
So she did. She felt a huge rush of fatigue, it was rather pleasant. She drank a little of her coffee, all of the brandy and leaned her head back on the couch. Inevitably, her eyes closed. It was comfortable there. She could feel the warmth of her fire, perhaps of the warmth of Adam’s body. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t be bothered to think any more. All had gone well. She went to sleep. Her last drowsy memory was of the last time she had slept by his side, on the balcony in his hotel room. And even that didn’t disturb her.
Consciousness returned slowly. She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep. But her body wasn’t as it had been when she had dozed off. Now her head was firmly on Adam’s shoulder. One of her arms was around his waist and his arm was holding her to him. Their bodies were touching, pressed together. She could smell his aftershave and the distant scent of his body. It was so comfortable there.
Too comfortable. She could end up wanting things she could not have. She jerked herself upright, found herself gazing into his smouldering grey eyes.
‘You should rest more,’ he said. ‘I know how stressful today has been for you.’
She wasn’t expecting sympathy, understanding. ‘I can cope,’ she said. She reached for her cup of now cold coffee and drained it. ‘Adam, I’ve got to know now. What do you think of Jack? And of Johanne seeing him?’
She saw him think before answering and her body tensed. ‘I liked the boy,’ he said eventually. ‘He is well-mannered, knows enough not to talk when he’s not sure of himself. He seemed genuinely fond of Johanne. And I liked his father as well.’
She felt the tension start to drain from her.
‘So?’ she queried. ‘What’ll be your attitude in the future?’
He sighed. ‘I’ve lost my wife, Johanne is all I have. The thought of losing her is...hard.’
‘She’s not yours, she’s now nearly her own person,’ said Amy. ‘She’s not a child any more, though of course she’s not yet an adult. It’ll be hard but you just have to let her mature. Mature socially, intellectually, morally—and sexually. You can guide but you can’t prescribe.’
He shook his head. ‘My brain tells me that that’s true. But my feelings tell me something else. I’ll cope, Amy, and it’s good of you to bother with me.’ He thought for a minute and then said, ‘Tell her that her letter is still unopened, she can have it back if she wants. And when she wants to come back home—or you want to get rid of her—I’ll try to make things better.’
Now it was Amy’s turn to be silent. After a while she said, ‘Was it hard to say that?’
He smiled ruefully. ‘Very hard. No one likes having to admit they’ve been wrong.’
‘You’ve not been wrong! You’ve tried too hard and you’ve just been...not right. Oh, and we don’t want to get rid of Johanne, she’s like one of the family. I hope that when she eventually goes back to you, she’ll visit us.’
‘You can bet on it. We’ll have to...’
He paused. Then with the arm that was still around her shoulders he pulled her to him and kissed her.
At first she was shocked. She tried to struggle. But as she did so she realised that he wasn’t holding her very hard, and she didn’t really want him to stop. So he kissed her and she let him. He stroked her hair and she felt calm, relaxed, very happy.
It was only a gentle kiss and when he stopped she was content to lie there across his chest, held by his comforting arms. ‘I liked that,’ she said.
‘So did I.’
His hand was moving up and down her back, soothing and yet exciting at the same time. He said, ‘You know there were three couples here tonight, three generations. Noel and your mother, the oldest generation, seemed to have got things sorted out. So do Jack and Johanne, the youngest generation. It’s only us two in the middle who can’t get things right.’
‘I don’t want to talk any more,’ she said. ‘I’m too tired to think. But you can kiss me again if you like. You’re being insidious again, aren’t you?’
He kissed her, just as she had wanted, then he glanced at her clock. ‘The school dance finishes at eleven o’clock,’ he said. ‘I told Jack and Johanne I’d pick them up and run them home. It’s only a quarter to ten now and we—’
She giggled. ‘Dr Ross, I can guess what you’re thinking. But there are two objections, One, some good things should never be rushed. Two, for this feminine reason and that, it’s just not really possible at the moment.’
There was a moment’s sad silence, then he laughed. ‘I think you’re wonderful,’ he said. ‘You did say I could kiss you again?’
Adam caught Amy early on Monday afternoon, just before she left the surgery. She was alone in the coffee room, about to pour herself a drink, when he came up behind her and kissed the back of her neck. It was a shock, but a delightful one.
‘A
dam! I work here, remember?’
‘I remember. It’s a wonderful thing, remembering. D’you remember dancing with me in the hotel grounds in the open air?’
She looked out of the window. It was a grey, bleak day, the wind chasing the leaves across the lawn outside. She shivered. ‘I remember. Different then, wasn’t it?’
‘I like dancing and so do you,’ he said.
‘I do like it. But I don’t get too much chance in Lissom.’
He smiled triumphantly. ‘Ah. Fell for it, didn’t you? Next Saturday is the Marquis’s Charity Ball, I’ve just been told about it. I gather there’s going to be a table for those of the staff here at the surgery who want to go. I’d like you to go with me.’
This was unexpected. Her initial reaction was of pleasure—she’d love to go. And with Adam.
‘It’s a big social event,’ Amy acknowledged.
‘You’ve been before?’
‘Four years ago,’ she said flatly, ‘with my—with the man I was married to.’
‘Ghosts. Get rid of them. Don’t look back, look forward. Come with me to the ball.’
She was very tempted. She’d not been anywhere exciting since her holiday. Don’t think about that! she told herself. But last time she had gone to the Marquis’s Ball she had enjoyed dressing up, had enjoyed being with a party of friends. Don’t kid yourself! she thought. You just want to go with Adam.
‘I’d love to go with you,’ she said, ‘but we’ll be part of the surgery party. We’re just going to the dance together. This does not mark a change in our relationship.’
‘Who could think such a thing?’ he murmured.
Arrangements were easy to make. Elizabeth would stay the night with her grandmother and Johanne would stay there, too. She was now considered part of the family. Noel would come round for the evening—he was there regularly. So that was sorted.
Amy found herself looking forward to the evening. She booked a hair appointment for Saturday afternoon. She couldn’t really justify buying herself a new evening dress. Perhaps one of the dresses she had bought to go on holiday? Then she remembered something and she went upstairs.
A Doctor to Come Home to Page 12
